When did we get to be so tender footed that we avoid leaving the house without the protective rubber soles of our Keens or Crocs or Reefs or Jessica Simpsons?  Just like the scares about microwave ovens causing cancer and the links between autism and vaccines, was it at one time reported that walking without shoes caused leprosy or hoof-in-mouth?  Maybe it was the June Cleaver-like moms who insisted that shoes be worn outside, lest their children seem wild and unkempt. Perhaps it was big-biz with their marketing geniuses who convinced us that shoes were absolutely necessary to avoid the stray broken bottle, dog poop and mystery germs. Hell, most people wear shoes "inside" the house.  When did we forget how to walk without shoes? 

But really, what's so wrong with wearing shoes? They look good and can definitely pull together an outfit.  According to The Barefoot Professor there are some myths to bunk about shoe-wearing.

1.  "While shoes may offer some protection against acute injuries, they are responsible for most of our chronic foot injuries, like bunions, Hallux valgus, hammer toe, over-pronation, fallen arches, etc. etc," says The Barefoot Professor.

2.  Shoes carry germs and lots of them.  Germs love warm, dark, moist places.  Hello shoes!  They're the leading cause of foot infections. The Barefoot Professor calls them "germ factories".  Just give a sniff to your shoes and feet after a long day in shoes.

3.  Shoes change your gait, they alter your stride length, weight distribution in your feet and the muscles that help you walk.  Heels, forget it.  If your body was rigid with a 1 inch heel, you would tip over, but instead the body compensates to keep you upright.  With 3-inch heels the pelvis tilts 15 degrees and body weight shifts to the front of the knee.  Women suffer from knee osteoathritis 4x more often than men.  Back, hip, and knee and foot pain can eventually be traced to your shoes and bad posture.  

This is no surprise.  But, I found something that is. This is where it gets good.  Christine Carter, creator of Raising Happiness, who offers research based advice, highlights some research about the health implications of grounding the body to the earth's surface electrons.  Sounds like woo-woo stuff, but research is showing that:

"Reconnection with the Earth's electrons has been found to promote intriguing physiological changes and subjective reports of well-being. Earthing (or grounding) refers to the discovery of benefits - including better sleep and reduced pain - from walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors connected to conductive systems that transfer the Earth's electrons from the ground into the body."

 Ansel Adams